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Gregg Bell joined The News Tribune in July 2014. Bell had been the director of writing for the University of Washington's athletic department for four years. He was the senior national sports writer in Seattle for The Associated Press from 2005-10, covering the Seahawks in their first Super Bowl season and beyond. He's also been The Sacramento Bee's beat writer on the Oakland Athletics and Raiders. The native of Steubenville, Ohio, is a 1993 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and a 2000 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.

This guy beat out Flynn in preseason, and nose-dove in the heat of the season. I think with maturity, he makes a longer term, inexpensive backup. TJ was never a long term solution. This will be an interesting pre-season, with 3 experienced NFL QBs and a likely practice squad seat warmer with potential. Besides, he will not be in the 9er camp, and can be our Colin K look-alike in practice.

If any team other than Seattle had made this move, we’d be mocking it. I have seen no evidence that Terelle Pryor has the ability to process pass defenses at the NFL level. Not even at a mediocre level.

Perhaps Seattle is thinking about converting him to another position, but is Pryor willing to make the move? I thought part of the reason the Raiders are moving Pryor is that Pryor knows he’s going to be squeezed out at QB in Oakland and wants out. He won’t accept being a 2nd or 3rd string QB there. Is a Carroll mind trick going to change Pryor’s feelings?

PFT says 9ers were after him too. Conspiracy Theory Warning; Perhaps the Whiners just want BJ Daniels back, and pursued Pryor just to see if they could push Seattle into trading for him, then cutting Daniels…

Nah…simple answer always the best; Pryor is an athlete with potential, if raw; both teams wanted him.

freedomx–Mocking a team for trading a SEVENTH ROUND PICK for an athlete of that magnitude?! Uh, no…and I like Pryor. I liked him in college, and I’d like to see what he can do with a quality franchise.

He may not make it in the NFL as a qb, but I dont think 3 years with the Raiders tells you anything about him, other than he’s tough and has character. (I woudlnt wish being a Raider the last 3 years on anyone who isnt a 49er or Stealer)…

Bobbyk–LOL! Sheesh, man, you sound grumpier than Georgia, Nate and I on an argument jag! Lighten up! Seattle wont hesitate to cut his butt if he doesnt make the grade. At worst, he’s an intriguing athlete we get a chance to evaluate….

Well, PFT’s Mike FLorio has just devoted 4 straight posts to Terrelle Pryor going to Seattle. Even in a slow news time of year, thats amazing! I think its cool he’s gonna have a shot to stick with a good team that can afford to bring him along slowly.

I would love to see us keep him and T-Jack. That would be cool.

I think the kid has serious potential. Hell, Russell Wilson wouldnt be Rusell Wilson if he’d been drafted by that crappy team in Oakland…

CCVI: thinking the same thing. Maybe this is some sort of wildcat move? Or maybe it’s the deep game. Run six wildcat rushes over the course of the season, then pull out a wildcat throw on a fly route to Percival in a playoff game? Who knows. Maybe since today is the first day of OTAs there was something physically wrong with TJ? Wish I could be a fly on the wall at the VMAC…

I agree with emperorzook. For the compete idea to work they need a specific number of players at each spot. I think as we get closer to the draft we will be able to predict a little easier what positions we will be drafting by the numbers currently competing at each position. We can pretty much scratch QB off of the draft predictions now.

There have been all-pros that went I drafted, so the idea Seattle couldn’t find an athlete like this in the 7th is conjecture. BTW, has it confirmed they gave a 7th up for him? Regardless, simply because someone is an elite athlete that is middling at his (essentially) lifelong position, doesn’t mean he can be transitioned into whatever position de jour seems appropriate. But back to my original question, curious what they did give for him.

Maybe this is a simply a draft pick trade. Bring Pryor into camp. Let him get some good preseason exposure. Wait for a team with a desperate need for a QB or back-up (like the Jets when Michael Vick gets hurt) is ready to trade a 3rd rounder.

elite athletes are rare birds – – of course it’s conjecture to think he can be NFL level at another position — but i’d argue that you very rarely find guys w/his natural athletic ability (size/speed combo) at the bottom of the 7th. easily worth the risk. plus, it’s interesting for us fans . . .

I was going to write that… If the Hawks keep Pryor at the QB spot he is only competing with BJ. However I don’t like the idea of the Hawks keeping 3 QB’s on the active roster. Our roster is so deep that 3 QBs is a luxury we don’t need. I rather keep an extra DB or LB or what ever position is having a serious talent battle for the last spot.

Obviously this trade is all about acquiring an athlete with upside. It’s a minimal investment non-guaranteed contract. They’ll let him compete for whatever he’s willing to do. Put him in the film room with Russ and see how to really work at his craft. Maybe he can unseat T-Jack, maybe he can win the 3rd QB spot, maybe he can work as a big WR.

The money indicates it’s unlikely he’ll unseat T-Jack, given his non-guaranteed contract vs the fully guaranteed contract of T-Jack, but that hasn’t stopped the Hawks management before. Maybe he plays well in preseason and they can trade one of the QBs to a needy team for something better than a 7th rounder.

Good trade. Not much to lose, and it could potentially turn into something down the road.

Man, I know it’s really out there, but this addition of Pryor is really exciting. Plus, we have precedent for players changing positions/sides and succeeding on our team already. Sherman went from WR to CB, Sweezy went from DL to OL, and Irvin was a safety before he bulked up and became a DE/OLB. Even Mike Rob and Kam were QB’s way back when.

Just imagine our offense with Pryor as an H-back/Joker TE? So Percy Harvin is in the backfield with Marshawn, and Pryor is in the slot, with the potential of TP blazing down the seam on a 9 route as a decoy, running with the ball, handing off and throwing a flea flicker to Kearse or keeping on a H-back option?

The possibilities are endless, and dizzying for opposing defenses.
This kind of additional wrinkle to our already multi-dimensional offensive attack could really make D Coordinators lose their minds.
DC’s would waste so much time every week preparing for the handful of snaps the special PH and TP packages actually constitute on offense.
And it just might be the next logical step for our offense to progress and become a little bit more “DangeRuss” in the playoffs.
Of course, having a healthy Harvin and Rice wouldn’t hurt, either.

Lot’s of interesting speculation has been forwarded regarding the rationale behind trading for Terrelle Pryor. I think that motive is fairly straightforward. The Seahawks front office is sending an unequivocal message to Russell Wilson, put away the video game controller and get your lazy butt off the couch! Your attitude around film study and your work ethic better change or your name will be on the waiver wire! And stop taking Tuesdays off to prance around at Children’s Hospital with all the poor children who brighten like the sun in your presence! Your position on this team, Russell Wilson, is not guaranteed! Fairly simple to me.

I think Pryor never had a chance on the Raiders, Mr. irrelevant has potential now. A 6-4 WR or punt returner or wherever Pete sees him maximizing his talents, nothing would really surprise me except maybe moving him to kicker. I like the idea of that we kept SF from acquiring him, i’d like to draft that hard hitting SS to sub in for Kam on occasion and maybe play a bigger role if his hip is still lingering. There’s nothing conventional about this team or the players, i like the trade.

Ummm, sarcasm? And I’m all for getting a great athlete for what would have been one of the last picks in the draft, but Pryor has said all along that he won’t play any position except QB. I don’t think that’s going to change just because he’s now a Seahawk.

Seattle will have to keep him on the 53 or cut him. He won’t make it to the PS even if he has any eligibility left.

So, with this move the Seahawks have just signaled that they intent to not only keep three QB’s this year but they intent to carry 3 QB’s on the 53. Pryor may spend many game days in street clothes, but if he’s on the team at all it will be on the active roster.

This is a low risk move. I’d like to see him make the team as the 3rd QB. Sit for a year and hopefully develop into a serviceable back up to RW. If he can’t beat out BJ Daniels then he has no shot at being an NFL QB because IMO BJ is not an NFL QB.

Loved this Move by JS/PC. Let this dude compete with BJ, T-Jack. I’m rooting for Pryor and having him win the backup QB spot. It’d be nice if we can trade T-Jack by 3rd preseason game for a 2015 6th or 7th round pick…

Out of the three Pryor’s ceiling as a QB is the highest,, and that’s not even a competition!..

If they see the possibility for him to develop into a decent QB why wouldn’t they keep 3 Qbs? It’s not like everyone on the active roster suits up on game days. Weren’t there players who spent the entire year on the active roster but didn’t suit up for any or many games? Mayowa? Micheals for the most part. I just don’t see it as impossible.

I could see Bevell creating a Kordell Stewert type “Slash” role for Pryor; just another offensive weapon to tote out during a game and give the defense fits, make them game plan for it, make them think about it. Another wrinkle.

Clearly Seattle likes his athleticism. Maybe he makes some special teams plays; maybe they use him in other ways on offense. Who knows?

And perhaps this is just currency for later. We all know Seattle’s FO likes to think ahead. Maybe they don’t expect TJack back next year, and they feel they can mold Pryor. And maybe in doing so, more people see progress from Pryor during pre-season play and garbage-time play, and someone decides to made a trade for the guy down the road. Maybe long-term Seattle turns this 7th round pick into a 4th or 5th rounder.

None of us would complain.

The way I see it: the 247’th pick in the draft may or may not make our roster; odds are against it given our depth. You send that pick to Oakland for an athletically gifted guy that you can use as a backup, maybe as a “Slash” player, and possibly as draft-pick fodder down the road. Seems like a win for Seattle.

Ewalters7354 and TallyHawk, it’s because teams are reluctant to keep 3rd string QB’s including Seattle. The only reason we kept 3 QB last year was because we wanted to pick up BJ Daniels from 49ers practice squad. We weren’t planning to last year and that’s why we let go that QB from Cleveland Browns..

Remember that keeping a 3rd string QB on roster will cost us really good players like John Lotulelei (2013) and Michael Bennett (3+ years ago)….

If a 3rd string QB has to play in a game, chances are quite low that we wouldn’t win that game. What’s the point of 3rd string QB?? I’d rather keep a QB on practice squad, if we really wanted to develop him. BJ will likely end up on Practice squad.

I agree that we used to do that. But that was before we found a Franchise QB in RW. Teams with Franchise QB do not keep 3rd strings QB, especially in the past 2-3 years.

If you think that’s incorrect, please give me a few examples where Teams with Franchise QB did that. We definitely have not for the past 2 years, (BJ was exception, cuz we were required to do that in order to steal him from 49ers)

He’ll have a chance to show what he can do. The Raiders are not exactly a shining example of player development. Maybe being around a first class organization and lead-by-example QB will have a positive effect on Pryor.

He has starting experience and elite athleticism. He’s young. There is a lot of upside. Maybe he’s the backup QB of the future, as T-Jack is only signed for a year.

Will they keep 3 QBs? Before this trade I would have guessed no. Now, perhaps. It will depend on who the other bubble guys are.

Fullback. Punt returner. Personally, I think he has a bright future as a long snapper.

Folks, he’s almost certainly coming in to compete at QB. There is zero evidence that A – he’s capable of playing elsewhere and B – Carroll hasn’t changed someone’s position as dramatically as being purported here.

I do not really have an opinion yet on the TP trade, simply because we do not know how he is going to be used. If he is brought in to strictly be a back up QB, I do not think we keep 3. he will then have to not only beat out T-Jack, but beat him so badly that the Hawks deem it worthy to pay T_jack to go away as his contract is fully guaranteed.

If he has told PC/JS that he is willing to play in packages as a Joker TE, or attempt to learn the WR position, or run down Special teams, etc… Then he is kept along with T-Jack as a WR/TE/ST/Athlete and emergency QB. Remember that we have not re-signed our emergency QB yet.

Last part of this puzzle for me. The Niners were reportedly in on this TP chase. I realize the difference in wins and stats, buuuuuut… Is TP really that much worse the Kaepernick? Both very fast, big and mobile. Both first read and go QBs. Both young and developing. One has had superior coaching and supporting cast and has consequently become more successful. But is TP really that much worse? Just a thought for discussion… I do not have the answer

I like this move, seems like a really good gamble for a 7th. I’ve heard he’s a really hard worker too, so maybe he’ll be able to thrive and develop into a good QB in this environment (good mentor, no pressure to start, being off the raiders…) If he doesn’t though, he could definitely be an asset as an H-back/joker.

HawkfaninMT, if you’re comparing TP to CK then I’d say, for me the first thing I notice is how they spin the ball. CK spins the ball much better than TP. Therefore CK is a lot more accurate than TP. CK definitely has much better arm strength then TP as well.

If the 2nd string QB needs to play a considerable amount of games, then usually the season is tanked for most teams out there. Why keep looking at Pryor as a possible starter, when we should be looking at him for what (I believe) PC/JS see, and that’s an unbelievable weapon in a limited role. Imagine you’re an opposing defensive coach, and you just temporarily knocked RW out of the game on 2nd and long. You feel pretty good about a 3rd and long, facing the Hawks back-up, right? Until you see Pryor trot out on the field, realizing he can just as easily run for a 1st down if it’s a 1 yard plunge or a 10 yard scamper. There’s no way we get a player as unique as Pryor with the Mr. Irrelevant pick. Good trade in my book.

I think it is possible that RW played thru an injury in the second half last season, as others here have noted. If so, that must have scared the crapola out of the team. All of a sudden, your great season can be over. As great as RW is, we have seen that it is possible for TJ to win games with this great team. Nine points would have won the SuperBowl. If Pryor can be better than him in the future, I say keep 3 QB’s. Of course, I’m a guy that’s been known to wear a belt AND suspenders on occasion.

It’s really hard to read the chicken guts here and determine what they are planning to do with him.

1) RW is the starter, no question
2) They love TJ as the backup AND his salary is guaranteed
3) They don’t typically carry 3 QBs.
4) They don’t run a gimmick offense.
a) Wildcat: no
b) Read Option: Not a lot

Based on that, I feel like they want him at another position. If I was going to pull something out of deep left field, I’d say they think they can turn him into a star QB and not pay RW next year, though I think this has less than a 1% chance of being their true motivation.

Yank, I’m not saying it will happen just that it’s a possibility. To say that they won’t do it just because teams don’t keep 3 Qbs anymore is a little narrow minded IMO. One thing I know about PC/JS is that they think for themselves and often make unconventional moves. smh

That’s it! Fire the GM! I can’t believe we gave up the 247th pick for a subpar QB who happens to be a very good athlete… OK, now with that off my chest, could JS/PC have done this in part to keep talent out of the hands of the whiners? Nothing else makes sense unless they are contemplating a position change. If it were anyone but our brain trust I’d be mocking this trade.

lol TallyHawk and for those that say Hawks will keep 3 QBs on roster this year,, maybe we should make a bet….

As for our FO being unconventional, I completely agree!. If anything, I see our FO cutting T-Jack, if TP out plays him in camp and preseason.

As for T-Jack’s salary ($1.5 mil) being guaranteed,, I’m not sure if you people recall, but there was a time our FO paid a guy name Matt Flynn $10 Mil Guaranteed and gave a starting job to some short QB named RW,,. Now I call that being Unconventional,, lol

Ewalters7354 and Duke, let’s compare teams with Fran QB keeping 3 QB versus, not keeping QB. And as for Bennett, he was cut because we needed OL help due to injury during the Season. I argue that we should have cut the 3rd string QB instead, in retrospect.

Plain and simple…how often can a team draft a 6′-6″ 230lb guy with 4.4 speed and is an athletic freak with pick #247? The Hawks traded for TP because they would not get that value at that point in the draft. The Hawks now have 4 months to take a look…low risk, high reward.

Ok lets bet that if the Hawks keep 3 QBs you’ll actually start making sense with your post.Because I see a guy who thinks he knows the mind of the FO.

Dude they have shown they have no problem with keeping a 3rd QB if he has potential. No one said they were gonna keep 3.Just looking at the history of this front office.I personally can care less if they do or don’t.But just because RW is the Franchise QB doesn’t mean other guys don’t stand a chance.

This was a win/win/win trade. Extremely low risk, (would we find a better overall athlete with the 247th pick?) I doubt it, not impossible but doubtful. As others have mentioned TP brings a plethora of options for that pick. Backup QB (with HUGE upside), Position change (with great coaching(Offensive weapon), Trade bait for the draft (Turning 7th rounder into 4th or 5th rounder). Shoot even just as “insurance” or “competition” for TJack or BJ I wouldn’t complain. I’m thinking of Pete’s always compete montra here. Shoot Just keeping a gifted athlete out of the 49’rs hands is enough for me.

Huh? You said teams with a franchise QB don’t keep 3 QBs on the roster (paraphrase), and asked for a “few” examples. I provided that. You were wrong. Now, if you wish to further qualify that, be my guest, but I have no interest in chasing down a rabbit hole filled with your own imagined B.S..

And yes, everyone here would have rather seen Mike Teel cut than Bennett. Way to go out on a limb.

lol, again you invalidated your own answer to my question, when you said Andrew Luck was a Franchise QB…. I know the Fools on ESPN still think that but I don’t think the majority of people on this blog would agree. At least I hope not. I shouldn’t underestimate the power of ESPN brain washing… smh.

Both are absolutely franchise QBs. Their organizations are committed to each for the foreseeable future. Are they “elite”? I wouldn’t make that argument; others might. But again, it’s two different things.

Well, to me, Franchise QBs mean their organizations are likely to renew/extend their contracts, until the end of their careers.

I don’t see Matthew Stafford and Andy Dalton finishing their careers as Starting QB for their teams. It’s a bit early to say that about Andrew Luck but if I had to make a bet based what I’ve seen so far, I’d take the bet against the odds about Luck not finishing his career with Colts as well.

Yank a “Franchise” Quarterback is exactly what it means “THAT FRANCHISES QUARTERBACK” for the foreseeable future. It has absolutely NO BEARING on where that Quarterback ranks in the NFL. If the franchise itself is committed to that Quarterback then he is a franchise quarterback. Someone “that” franchise intends to build around (not look at upgrading or trading in immediate future)

So is Andrew Luck a franchise Quarterback YES. Easiest way to look at it is this. Is a particular team looking to pick up a Quarterback in 1st round this year. If so then they don’t have franchise quarterback. If there not looking at one in 1st round then they most likely have a franchise quarterback.

As someone else said Elite or HOF Quarterback vs Franchise Quarterback is comparing apples and oranges.

There are 32 teams in the National Football League. Each team needs a QB. There are only 5 or so “elite” QB’s in the league. Not many are elite, or even considered elite by the media, or the majority of players, coaches, and fans. There are around 15 franchise QB’s who their respective teams are willing to build around, even though they may not be the absolute cream of the crop. Then there are the 10 or so journeymen or placeholder QB’s that the teams reluctantly go with because they have no better options, but always looking to upgrade.
We can debate who the elite are, who the franchise guys are, and who are the journeymen. We can even discuss the merits of even having a franchise QB, how much that helps a team win a title due to their exorbitant salary. But this is how the league is structured currently. My2Cents.

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